The Dancing Lady
Once Umi and Scorpius agreed to watch Tiny, Nova accepted a job. After careful consideration she chose an A - Class one and grabbed Kaden so he could get some experience. Once they were on the train Nova took the time to explain the situation to her little brother. "So this guy, Atsuki, wants some people to fetch a precious treasure for a client." "Sounds simple enough. Why do you need me?" "He wants to come. We have guard duty as well as a treasure hunt. This giant Minotaur thing stands in our way though so we must be careful. Here's the plan..." {Upon Arrival} "Hello! Hello! My name is Atsuki Same, but please just call me Atsuki." "I'm Kaden and this is my big sister Nova." "Oh! I thought you were older... she just looks too short to be-" Now, now Nova. Calm down." Kaden says as Nova has bristled at the height remark. "She's definitely older and a lot stronger. So anyway, I hear you have a map?" "Yes! I do. Come here and see it." The map was old and worn but had a magical aura suggesting its authenticity. As they examined it another train came in, the one supposedly carrying the client. When the door slides open and reveals him there's an audible "Holy Gods" from the sibling duo. The man who steps out is nearly seven feet tall and his honey colored skin radiated brightly from under his white pants and shirt. Chartreuse eyes are framed by long lashes and are separated by a sloped nose. Mahogany hair sweeps over his eyes and curls down the nape of his neck. He looks like a sculpture himself. "Hallo," he states in a rich, deep voice. Its thick with a foreign sounding accent,"my name is Jamus Von Locke. I am the one desiring ze sculpture. Thank you for answering ze request!" "N-n-no prolehm..." Nova tries to say. "It's a pleasure to meet you sir. We're glad to take the job" Kaden states and shoots off a bright smile. Nova internally groaned at the ease with which her brother was able to speak to people. They shake Jamus's hand and board the next train, waving goodbye to Atsuki as they pulled away. Inside the one of the cars the trio set up a plan. Kaden would take rear guard, Nova would be at point and Jamus would direct them from the middle. It didn't take long to reach the castle but it took a bit of prodding to get Kaden inside. James lights a torch and they make their way down the third hallway as show on the map. The stones drip with moisture and are overgrown by ivy. Bugs of various species skitter across the floor. Nova equips Dark Vision and Kaden creates a hoop of water around his waist. The unaffected Jamus happily chatters away while Nova keeps hear eyes and ears open for any sort of attack. There are many sharp Y divergences and even a few dead ends but the tall male expertly helps navigate while keeping a conversation going with Kaden. "...And zere it vas! A cat vis a teacup and a azzault rifle," Jamus finishes his story and both boys burst out laughing. Nova, having not listened to the full thing, was confused and turned to ask what was so funny. In the next second the left wall behind them exploded and a giant monster stepped into view. "Vell zis vas unezpected." "No kidding," Nova responded sarcastically. She twirled her sword in her hand as she turned once more. The man bull's eyes blazed in vibrant rage as spittle flew from its parted lips. It began its charge towards them, lowering its horns only to have them stopped by Nova's blade. Kaden stepped in front of Jamus and quickly used a jet of water to blast the foe backwards. The hallway was small so two people couldn't stand side by side. Kaden bring the water back into a hoop and sends it out once more but Nova, thinking he had finished his attack, had stepped in his path. The water hit her back and sent her flying right into the fallen minotaur. She rolls off quickly but it grabs her leg and throws her through the right wall. "Oh. No. You did NOT just do that!" Nova comes flying through the dust in her quick strike armor, zipping around the beast faster than he can track. Kaden soaks the minotaur once more and when combined with Nova's lightning, the beast is knocked out cold. The siblings continue on, a little tenser now, with Jamus between them. The tall man directs them right into a cavern decorated with gleaming trinkets. The Dancing Lady statue glitters brightly directly in the center and Jamus rushes up to it saying,"Ve have finally made it! Give me a moment to prepare my vish." "We would have made it sooner if someone hadn't pushed me into the thing we were fighting," Nova says passive aggressively. "Me? Your the one who got in the way of my attack!" Kaden responded. From there the two erupt into a larger argument. Jamus tries to focus on his wish but gets increasingly annoyed by the twos bickering. "I vish.... I vish... I vish you two vould shut up for avhile!" Jamus yells in exasperation then realizes his mistake. "Vait! Das not my vish!" But it was too late. The statue glowed an eerie silver and the Akira siblings lost their voices for exactly 60 seconds. Jamus, who would normally be devastated, was laughing so hard tears streamed down his face. They made the trip out and back home in forced silence. The curse did not release until the next day and that day the pair would not stop talking... just in case.